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Swisher misses fourth straight game

Swisher misses fourth straight game

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NEW YORK -- Nick Swisher didn't start for the fourth consecutive day as he continues to nurse a strain in his left biceps that prevents him from batting left-handed. Swisher had expected to play on Wednesday against the Rays, but he still felt something in his arm when taking some quick left-handed swings in the cage during Tuesday's loss to Boston.

"It wasn't a pain thing, but there's still something in there," Swisher said of the injury. "It's just a one-more-day kind of thing."

Swisher has been sticking by that philosophy for the past few days, but the Yankees are being especially cautious with the right fielder. And as long as there's "something in there," they don't want to risk prolonging or worsening the injury.

"We just want to make sure everything's perfect. As frustrating as that is to hear, you've got to listen to it," Swisher said. "If you're not at 100 percent, you're not really helping anybody."

Swisher was taking some swings in the cage in the eighth inning of Tuesday's game as preparation for a possible pinch-hitting appearance against Boston's Hideki Okajima. While there, he took a couple "dry hacks" from the left side and felt that "something" in his arm.

Swisher admitted that the injury, which he first felt earlier this season but which returned last Wednesday in Detroit, was probably worse than he initially let on. But even as his return keeps getting pushed back, he is focusing on the improvement in his biceps. He was able to work out with weights on Wednesday for the first time in a week, and he joked he might go back in for a "double workout."

"This ADD is kicking in," he said. "I want to be out with my boys on the field."

There's little chance the Yankees will place Swisher on the disabled list, since he can still pinch-hit from the right side or serve as a defensive replacement. Furthermore, the Bombers are slated to face two left-handers this weekend when they travel across town to face the Mets at Citi Field.